A Day in the Life of Nara Shikamaru
by Sariana
Summary: Shikamaru's really not all that different from everyone else. Sure, he's got cool shadow skills and was the first in his class to make the rank of Chunnin. But behind all that is a typical boy with a typical family and a typical life. One Shot


Hello everyone! Guess what? I couldn't wait to come out with another fan fiction, so instead of taking a break after Konoha's New Teacher, I wrote this one shot.

It focuses on my favorite character: Nara Shikamaru and what I think a typical day for him is like. Of course, I don't want to give too much away before you read the story, so enough with the rambling.

I hope you enjoy!

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Summary: Shikamaru's really not all that different from everyone else. Sure, he's got cool shadow skills and was the first in his class to make the rank of Chunnin. But behind all that is a typical boy with a typical family, and a typical life.

(Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. Enough said.)

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**A Day in the Life of Nara Shikamaru**

"Shikamaru!" came a loud, rather annoying holler. The sleeping boy just groaned and rolled over in bed and dozed back off to sleep. "Nara Shikamaru! Get out of bed this instant!" came the loud voice, once again, this time much louder than before.

"All right! All right!" Shikamaru yelled back. He tossed his pillow and blanket over his head. He just needed five more minutes of sleep. Just five more minutes…

Unfortunately, he only got maybe thirty more seconds of sleep when he felt his blanket and pillow pulled off of him. _THWACK!_ Shikamaru groaned and looked up to find his mom holding his pillow in her hands, ready to swing it again if he didn't get out of bed soon. '_Moms are so troublesome,_' he thought to himself as he rolled out of bed.

"Don't you dare groan at me, young man!" his mom said in a stern tone. He just rolled his eyes, making his way to his closet to grab his clothes for the day. "And you roll your eyes at me one more time, mister. Just try it, and see what happens. I want you downstairs for breakfast in five minutes. Otherwise, you'll not get any sleep at all tonight. Just you wait." She didn't even wait for a reply as she went back downstairs.

'_Are all women this troublesome?_' Shikamaru wondered as he pulled his shirt over his head. '_If so,_' he thought, '_she must be their leader._'

"Took you long enough!" Shikamaru's mom said, just as he walked into the kitchen for breakfast. "I was just about to go back up there and drag you down here myself." She turned around and got back to piling the plates with pancakes.

"Psst!" Shikamaru whispered to his dad, leaning over the table. "Dad, tell me again: what made you marry such a woman?"

"Um, son?" replied his dad. "You've asked me this question every single morning for as long as I can remember, and the answer has yet to change .So will you give it up already?"

Shikamaru was just about to argue when his mom set a plate piled high with pancakes in front of him. "Eat up!" his mom said, suddenly quite cheerful. "Growing boys need to eat properly so they can grow up big and strong!"

All Shikamaru could do was eat the pancakes and keep quiet. The last thing he needed was to get in another argument with his mom and get stuck doing some troublesome chores. So he ate his pancakes as fast as he could so that he could get outside even faster to avoid any more trouble with his mom – at least until he came back home later that night.

After managing to eat the twenty or so pancakes that had been placed in front of him, Shikamaru practically ran for the door. "Hold it, young man!" came the dreadful voice that belonged to his mom. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Training," replied the boy.

"Not until you wash these dishes."

'_Darn!_' Shikamaru thought. '_I almost got away, too._' He turned around and marched back into the kitchen and washed the dishes in record time. "There! You happy now?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

His mom glared daggers at him for a brief moment before breaking out into a grin. "As a matter of fact, I am," she said. The glare returned. "However, I'd watch that tone of yours, mister. But you're free to go out and do your training. She sighed and left the room to begin her daily chores.

'_Finally,_' thought the young Shikamaru, as he turned the doorknob and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

Shikamaru looked around to see the type of day that awaited him. It was nice and warm outside, with just the right amount of clouds in the sky. He decided it was just too nice a day to bother with any of the troublesome training he told his mom he'd be doing. Instead, he made his way to a nearby park and sprawled himself on his backing the grass.

He had just gotten himself comfortable and ready for some serious cloud gazing when he heard yet another familiar voice call his name, "Shikamaru!" The owner of the voice came running up to him, panting. "Hey Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru looked up to see his best friend standing over him. "Hey Chouji!"

"Any good clouds out today?" Chouji asked as he laid himself down next to his best buddy.

"Dunno," Shikamaru shrugged. "Just got here. Mom kept me in to do dishes after breakfast this morning."

"What'd you do to make her keep you in this time?" Chouji had just opened a bag of chips and set it on top of his stomach.

"Think it had something to do with the fact that I tried to sleep in this morning," Shikamaru answered. "Mom's are so troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed.

"I know what you mean." Chouji said before tossing a chip into his mouth. "My mom actually tried to make me eat a bowl of sugar-free cereal and a fruit salad this morning." The two boys sighed. "Want a chip?" Chouji asked.

"Sure." Shikamaru took the chip Chouji was offering him. "Thanks." The two boys just laid their, gazing up at the clouds and munching on chips like the best friends they were. Not a care in the world.

It wasn't' until the clouds had turned a dark shade of orange that the boys realized it was getting late, the empty bag of chips long abandoned. "Guess I should probably be getting home. Don't want to be late for dinner," Chouji said, clutching his stomach to try and keep it quiet.

"Yeah. I should probably get home too. Before Mom sends the Anbu out for me," Shikamaru said, getting to his feet. Having his mom send out a search party for him was certainly one of the last things he needed right now. "See you later."

"See ya!" Chouji replied as both turned and left their separate ways.

Shortly after saying good-bye to Chouji, Shikamaru stepped through the front door of his house. "Shikamaru? Is that you?" came his mom's voice. She came running out of the kitchen, looking hysterical. "Oh! My dear, sweet boy! I was so worried!" Shikamaru's mom practically tackled him and seized him in a giant hug, nearly suffocating him. "The street lights came on, but you hadn't walked through the door! I wasn't sure what to do!"

After much sobbing and squeezing Shikamaru to death, his dad came to the rescue. "No need to kill the boy, dear. After all, he came in just a minute after the streetlights came on. There's really no need to fret."

"But! What if…what if someone tried to…to k-kill…?" She broke into some more uncontrollable sobbing, unable to finish what she had tried to say. She still had her son in a death-grip of a hug.

"Dear, I think he could have managed just fin. After all, he's a Chunnin now," he replied, calmly, as he tried to pry his wife off of his choking son.

"I know, but what if…?" she continued to wail.

"I understand, dear," Shikamaru's dad was still trying to calm his wife down so that Shikamaru, who was gasping for air, could finally catch his breath. "But if you don't let go of him, it'll be you who will kill him. Just give him some room to breathe!"

"Oh!" She finally let go of her son. It seemed as if she had completely forgotten she was practically squeezing him to death. "Sorry, Shikamaru. It's just…you had me so worried!"

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'll be sure not to do it again," Shikamaru said, finally able to fill his precious lungs again.

"You had better not!" his mom suddenly yelled.

'_Geesh!_' Shikamaru thought. '_She can change moods quickly enough!_'

"Do you realize I was this close," she held up a hand wither her index finger and thumb just barely touching, "this close to calling for an Anbu squad to go out and hunt you down? This close!" She held up her hand again to emphasize just how close she was talking. "Now, march your hide up those stairs and get yourself to bed, young man! I'll figure out your punishment tomorrow. Good-night!" She turned and stomped off into the kitchen, with her husband right behind.

Shikamaru shook his head, thinking as he made his way upstairs and to his room. '_My mom is so troublesome. First she gets carried away with worrying about me and then _Poof!_ she's back to her angry self in an instant, yelling at me for making her worry. I certainly hope not all women are so troublesome. One such woman is enough for my lifetime!_' he thought as he crawled into bed and fell asleep. He really didn't mind that he had no supper. After all, he was still quite full from the tower of pancakes he had eaten this morning. And to think, this is what Shikamaru considered as a typical day!

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So, what'd you guys think? Please let me know by reviewing. Thanks in advance! 


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